Settling in at the bar of the Soda Rock Winery in Healdsburg, my friend from Arizona (on his semiannual Sonoma County wine pilgrimage) assessed the situation before the first sip.

"Sometimes, you can just feel if a tasting room is right for you," he said.

The expansive lounge on Highway 128 in Alexander Valley was nearly empty on an early Thursday afternoon, but it felt solid and inviting, from its soaring wood beam ceilings to its polished concrete floor, gray rock entry wall and long, dark polished wood bar that had been salvaged from a local tavern and now sat topped with rows of bottles and red leather wine list books.

Solid, yes. The mossy stone building originally was a general store and post office built in 1869, and the site of a bonded winery in 1880. Various owners kept the winery running through 1973, and in the 1980s, the Tomka family temporarily revived the old operation. But then it sat vacant and crumbling until Ken and Diane Wilson purchased it in 2000 and began renovation.

The vibe: Rebuilding included adding numerous new structures stitched onto the stone, in modern clapboard style complete with an old water tower turned into a private guest suite. Featuring avocado-green facades and red trim, it's an unexpected look, but striking. Inside, art is a focus, including a floor-to-ceiling photo of a lovely lady peering across the room, and many landscapes by acclaimed Healdsburg painter Wade Hoefer (he keeps his studio in the building). The property is a bit more corporate now; a cavernous barrel room in the back has been converted to private party space for weddings, but it all melds effortlessly.

The experience: Sit anywhere - at the bar, in the numerous nooks and crannies of the grand room with its semi private salons, outside on the sun-warmed patio, or at a large barrel turned into a communal table in the main room. We're supposed to pick five wines from the list, but our hostess offered to taste us through all 13 choices, and only charged us a single $5 fee.

The team: Ken and Diane Wilson own eight Wilson Artisan Wineries, including deLorimier in Alexander Valley, Matrix in the Russian River Valley, St. Anne's Crossing in Kenwood, Jaxon Keys in Mendocino, and Mazzocco Sonoma, Pezzi King and Wilson, all in Dry Creek Valley. The winemakers are Diane Wilson and Antoine Favero, who also direct winemaking at the other properties.

The wines: None of the vineyards surrounding the building belong to Soda Rock (all were sold off by previous owners). The Wilsons farm more than 500 acres of vineyards across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, however, offering current releases of Sauvignon Blanc ($19-$22), Chardonnay ($36), Merlot ($20-$28), Zinfandel ($29-$60), Cabernet Franc ($45) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($40-$65).

The extras: If the vintage estate's charm woos you, stay over in one of the newly built guest suites, including in the water tower above artist Hoefer's studio, or in the "Artist's Den," a private front room of the studio. There also are three separate suites for rent on the other side of the tasting room.